Circumplex
Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family Therapy
Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family Therapy
The Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family Therapy has been used for decades throughout the world to help repair and maintain healthy relationships in a family setting. The model is specifically designed for clinical assessment, treatment planning and outcome effectiveness of marital and family therapy (Olson, 1993 & 1996). It is compiled of different dimensions in a relationship that show where problems arise more commonly and how they can be fixed. Those three dimensions are: family cohesion flexibility and communication. Without the three of these dimensions, there is no relationship. “The Circumplex Model of Marital & Family System identifies 16 types of couple and family relationships.” ("Circumplex Model: Couple And Family Map", 2012).
The first dimension is family cohesion. “Family cohesion is defined as the emotional bonding that family members have toward one another. Within the Circumplex Model, some of the specific concepts or variables that can be used to diagnose and measure the family cohesion dimensions are: emotional bonding, boundaries, coalitions, time, space, friends, decision-making and interests and recreation.” (Olson, 1993 & 1996). There are four functions in this dimension. Those functions are disengaged, separated, connected, and enmeshed.
Disengaged and enmeshed are the extremes of a relationship. What that means is either people are way too close or extremely far apart from each other in their relationship. People tend to want to be separated or connected in a relationship, which are the middle grounds for most healthy relationships. That means people can be content to be with the other person or they are content without the other person with them. They do not constantly have to be with the person and can still be content with the relationship.
The second dimension is flexibility. There has to be some flexibility in every
Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family Therapy
The Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family Therapy has been used for decades throughout the world to help repair and maintain healthy relationships in a family setting. The model is specifically designed for clinical assessment, treatment planning and outcome effectiveness of marital and family therapy (Olson, 1993 & 1996). It is compiled of different dimensions in a relationship that show where problems arise more commonly and how they can be fixed. Those three dimensions are: family cohesion flexibility and communication. Without the three of these dimensions, there is no relationship. “The Circumplex Model of Marital & Family System identifies 16 types of couple and family relationships.” ("Circumplex Model: Couple And Family Map", 2012).
The first dimension is family cohesion. “Family cohesion is defined as the emotional bonding that family members have toward one another. Within the Circumplex Model, some of the specific concepts or variables that can be used to diagnose and measure the family cohesion dimensions are: emotional bonding, boundaries, coalitions, time, space, friends, decision-making and interests and recreation.” (Olson, 1993 & 1996). There are four functions in this dimension. Those functions are disengaged, separated, connected, and enmeshed.
Disengaged and enmeshed are the extremes of a relationship. What that means is either people are way too close or extremely far apart from each other in their relationship. People tend to want to be separated or connected in a relationship, which are the middle grounds for most healthy relationships. That means people can be content to be with the other person or they are content without the other person with them. They do not constantly have to be with the person and can still be content with the relationship.
The second dimension is flexibility. There has to be some flexibility in every
References: Circumplex Model: Couple and Family Map. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.plts.edu Olson, D.H. (1996) Clinical assessment & treatment interventions using the Circumplex Model. (Chapter 5, pp. 59-80) In F.W. Kaslow (Ed.) Handbook of Relational Diagnosis and Dysfunctional Family Patterns. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Olson, D.H. (1993). Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. In F. Wals (Ed.), Normal Family Processes. (2nd Ed.). New York: Guilford Press.